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Rose Colored Gaming recently unveiled a beautiful Earthbound Zero reproduction NES cart, complete with a slick plastic case and custom cover art. The cart includes an English-translated ROM of Japanese Nintendo RPG and cult classic Mother.

Mother never came to the United States, though Mother 2 was released as Earthbound on SNES in North America, and will see a Wii U Virtual Console port this year. The game that followed in the series, Mother 3 for Game Boy Advance, also never saw official North American localization, though fan translators of the game offered Nintendo to use their work free of charge for further Virtual Console localization purposes.

As for Rose Colored Gaming's gorgeous Earthbound Zero reproduction cart, there's no price listed yet on its store as it's working to produce "as many of these as possible for as long as possible." We're just saying, this collectible item would be a great gift for a sorrowful Joystiq editor that has lost hope that any future iterations of the series will come to life in a language they understand.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Earthboundearthbound-zeromodmothernesnintendoreproductionreproduction-cartromrose-colored-gamingSun, 30 Jun 2013 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/earthbound-is-an-effective-band-aid-for-the-wii-us-virtual-cons/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/earthbound-is-an-effective-band-aid-for-the-wii-us-virtual-cons/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/22/earthbound-is-an-effective-band-aid-for-the-wii-us-virtual-cons/#commentsA few months ago I opined that the Wii U's Virtual Console, with its limited launch lineup, limited platforms, and limited upgrades from the Wii Virtual Console, was less than ideal. A few things have changed since then: some of the games have launched (for 30 cents), we have a solid launch date for the service in earnest, and there's a more detailed launch list. However, none of the basic issues have been fixed; the Virtual Console carries the same inherent flaws it did in January.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earthboundfangamermothernintendostarmenvirtual-consolewii-uMon, 22 Apr 2013 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/earthbound-virtual-console-north-america-europe-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/earthbound-virtual-console-north-america-europe-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/earthbound-virtual-console-north-america-europe-release/#commentsEarthbound (also known as Mother 2) will be available on the Wii U Virtual Console by year's end in North America and Europe.

"We will announce the actual release date at a later time," said Nintnedo President Satoru Iwata during today's Nintendo Direct.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Earthboundmothermother-2nintendonintendo-direct-aprilvcvirtual-consolewii-uWed, 17 Apr 2013 10:24:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/09/popcap-offering-75-percent-off-zuma-for-yo-mama/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/09/popcap-offering-75-percent-off-zuma-for-yo-mama/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/09/popcap-offering-75-percent-off-zuma-for-yo-mama/#comments
Out of observance for this most matronly of holidays, PopCap has reduced the price of its Aztec themed casual puzzler Zuma by 75 percent. Until May 12, you (or your female progenitor) can pick up the PC or Mac version of Zuma for just $4.95 on PopCap's official site. If you ask us, it makes for a much better Mother's Day present than assorted chocolates. Or store-bought flowers. Or bath salts. Or the three-disc Blu-ray Extreme Unrated Edition of Fried Green Tomatoes.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>casualmothermothers-daypopcappuzzlesalezumaSun, 09 May 2010 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/mother-has-been-earthbound-for-20-years-bound-for-us-just-as-lo/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/mother-has-been-earthbound-for-20-years-bound-for-us-just-as-lo/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/27/mother-has-been-earthbound-for-20-years-bound-for-us-just-as-lo/#comments
Twenty years ago today the original Mother was released for the Nintendo Famicom in Japan. Since then, the Japanese have continued to receive more of Mother's lovely RPG gameplay and storytelling, while other lands have been Earthbound with vague rumors of official releases and fan translations.

EarthBoundCentral has compiled a sweet little homage to the series -- check it out after the break. And keep wishing upon a star that Mother finds its way outside Japan ... one day.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earthboundmotherMon, 27 Jul 2009 10:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/first-footage-of-pokemon-heart-gold-and-soul-silver-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/first-footage-of-pokemon-heart-gold-and-soul-silver-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/10/first-footage-of-pokemon-heart-gold-and-soul-silver-revealed/#commentsAs promised, today's episode of Pokémon Sunday brought the now not-so-surprising reveal of Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. While the actual revelation wasn't particularly mind-blowing, the episode did feature a few seconds of gameplay (posted after the break) that will likely whet the appetites of many a pocket-sized monster fanatic.

The gameplay itself isn't that interesting -- the protagonist merely walks in circles a few times -- though we do get a good sense of the Pearl and Diamond-esque art style the remakes will adopt. Also, if this clip is any indication, it looks like your starter pokémon will follow your character around in a Pokémon Yellow-esque fashion. We feel so sorry for Pokémon detractors. If you guys had hearts, that news would make them feel pretty warm.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSgame-freakmothernintendopokemonpokemon-heart-goldpokemon-soul-silverpokemon-sundaySun, 10 May 2009 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/21/brownie-brown-interested-in-ds-version-of-mother-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/21/brownie-brown-interested-in-ds-version-of-mother-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/21/brownie-brown-interested-in-ds-version-of-mother-3/#commentsThe lack of a localized Mother 3 on the Game Boy Advance must rank as one of Nintendo's more heinous crimes, but that's not to say they can't get out of our bad books. All it would take is, oooh, let's say a DS version of the classic RPG and A MILLION DOLLARS. Or, y'know, just the game.

And look, Nintendo, Mother 3 co-developer Brownie Brown is happy to indulge us! Speaking to Siliconera, company President Shinichi Kameoka said Nintendo just needs to give the go-ahead. "If we were asked to make [a DS version of Mother 3]," he said, "then we would definitely like for fans abroad to play the game."

The ball is very much in Nintendo's court, then. Until they take a swipe at it, there's only one way to sample (and fully comprehend) Mother 3's myriad delights.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brownie-brownearthboundgbaitoimothermother-3portremakerpgshigesato-itoiWed, 21 Jan 2009 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/21/show-and-tell-one-dedicated-community/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/21/show-and-tell-one-dedicated-community/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/21/show-and-tell-one-dedicated-community/#comments
We've been talking a lot about Mother 3recently, and for good reason: the fan community is one of the strongest around, and they function without even a scrap of official love. Still, they soldier on, translating games, and, even better for us in this space, they make things.

Of course, a fan translation is about the biggest DIY project we could feature here, but we've already done that. Instead, let's talk other things Mother, and by that, we mean crafts and similarly fun and frivolity. Take the tour of our picks, or just jump right into the gallery below.

Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>craftsearthboundjoystiqfeaturesmotherTue, 21 Oct 2008 12:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/ds-daily-motherly-love/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/ds-daily-motherly-love/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/20/ds-daily-motherly-love/#comments
With the unofficial Mother 3 translation project having reached its goal -- that is, its achievable goal of a playable English version of Mother 3, not the successful shaming of Nintendo into releasing one themselves -- we thought it was a good time to link back to our interview with Starmen.net's Reid Young from last year. And also to talk about the Mother 3 translation project in general.

Has the work of the dedicated grassroots Mother 3 movement made you into a fan? Did they make you aware of the series for the first time? Have you been following the progress of the translation? If so, we imagine this is a time to celebrate. Perhaps most importantly, does all this talk about Mother put that Danzig song in your head?

After two years of development (and an endless string of tipsters keeping us up-to-date on every update on the project), the Mother 3 Fan Translation version 1.0 is now available for download, so English-speaking gamers without fluency in Japanese can enjoy the title. You'll need a copy of the Mother 3 ROM (also known as Earthbound 2) to use the patch, as well as your own copy of the imported game for legal purposes, moral clarity and a sense of contentment for supporting the franchise despite Nintendo's insistence to not bring it stateside.

In other news, Earthbound for Wii (possibly Virtual Console) is still rated by the ESRB, and since May 2nd that's all we know about it.

After almost two years of hard slog, Starmen.net's Mother 3 fan translation patch has finally been completed, and will be released at the end of this week ... a whole month ahead of schedule! That's according to the latest blog entry on the project's site, in which team member Mato records that, "Testing's pretty much over now. Some bugs did turn up over the last few days, but they were all minor and quickly remedied. Some really hard-to-spot typos were also found and fixed."

Joyous news indeed, though the patch will require a few other things before it's of any use: namely a slot-2 flashcart, a GBA emulator, and -- cough -- an entirely unauthorized ROM copy of the Japanese game. While we don't condone piracy, a western localization of Mother 3 doesn't exactly look likely at this stage, and we do condone passionate fan projects such as this one. Hit up this FAQ to learn more, and don't forget to check out some beautiful, AnglicizedMother 3screens.

Praised by almost everyone who's played the freeware PC title, Cave Story is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the "Metroidvania" genre, a polished action platformer embellished with endearing characters and a catchy soundtrack. No matter how many times we're reminded of the fact, it always astounds us that the game was designed and developed by a single programmer, Daisuke Amaya, or Pixel, as he's more commonly known.

As you might should know, homebrew developer Ravenworks has been working on a DS port for Cave Story. As it turns out, however, Pixel doesn't own a Nintendo DS, so it would be unlikely that he'd be able to play the port once it's completed. In fact, he hasn't owned a handheld or home console since the Nintendo 64! Isn't it a crime nowadays for gamers in Japan to not own a Nintendo DS?

To keep Pixel out of jail, Ravenworks and the rest of the "All Things Studio Pixel (ATSP)" LiveJournal community raised $410 and put together a care package of handheld treats as a "thank you" for the DS-less developer's work. Here's everything the group purchased and sent:

Onyx Nintendo DS Lite system (laser engraved with Cave Story characters and a message that reads, "Thank you")

R4 cart with 2 GB microSD (for playing Cave Story DS! and perhaps DS development one day?)

So, how did Pixel take to the package? You can read his reaction, as well as the community's reasons for picking those two particular games for their offering, past the post break! We also used this effort as an excuse to catch up with Ravenworks on Cave Story DS's progress.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dailyrecapearthboundmotherSun, 11 May 2008 23:59:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/a-history-of-zealous-earthbound-fandom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/a-history-of-zealous-earthbound-fandom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/a-history-of-zealous-earthbound-fandom/#commentsMembers of the Mother series fan site Starmen.net may be celebrating now, with Earthbound recently rated on the ESRB's web site, but just getting to that tenuous victory (as Ys I & II can affirm, ESRB rating is not the same as a Virtual Console release) has been the culmination of years of agonizing effort and constant campaigning that may not have actually had anything to do with the news.

Shacknews has posted a great retrospective of Starmen's 11-year campaign to get something related to Earthbound to happen outside of Japan, from a Game Boy Color release of Mother to localized versions of Mother I & II on the DS to (of course) a U.S. version of Mother 3. They've carried out insane plots like creating a beautiful book of fan works to show Nintendo how much they care about the series. Nintendo's response has ranged from politely dismissive to nonexistent, though the feature reveals that somewhere within Nintendo, Starmen's efforts were at least attracting attention.

Mother fans, rejoice! EarthBound, also known as Mother 2 and the only game of the series to be released in the US, has been rated by the ESRB for the Wii. While that seems to be a good indication the game is bound for the Virtual Console, we're not going to make that leap without an official confirmation from Nintendo. Besides, given the rabid fan base of the game here, we're half-serious when we say we suspect Nintendo might consider selling the game unchanged for $50 on a disc. We guarantee it would sell like gangbusters.

An ESRB rating is the only outside hurdle the Nintendo-owned property to putting it on the Virtual Console (if that's the route they take). Now wouldn't that make for a clever Mother's Day gift, hm?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earthboundesrbmothernintendovirtual-consoleWiiFri, 02 May 2008 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/20/mother-3-translation-seven-months-away/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/20/mother-3-translation-seven-months-away/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/20/mother-3-translation-seven-months-away/#commentsCelebrating Mother 3's release in Japan two years ago today, Starmen.net co-founder and fan-translation project lead Tomato posted an update on the unofficial localization's outlook. With ten months of work already behind them, the team predicts that the completed English patch (GBA ROM required) still needs about seven months of hacking, script editing, and testing.

While that may sound like a long time, keep in mind that some fan-driven translations can take years before they're finished, and that's if they even make it past the first months of work before dissolving. Besides, it's not like Nintendo of America is rushing to translate the RPG.

To help you deal with the wait, Tomato has posted ten minutes worth of video showing the team's progress, all of which you can watch above! So close, and yet so far away!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brownie-brownearthboundfan-translationhal-laboratoryitoimothermother-3patchrpgshigesato-itoistarmenSun, 20 Apr 2008 23:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/2008s-april-fools-ds-pranks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/2008s-april-fools-ds-pranks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/2008s-april-fools-ds-pranks/#commentsOh man, is that Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime over there, bringing you a giant bag of popcorn? It must be your lucky day!

Too bad it's April Fools' Day! You're not getting any popcorn at all! Nope, it's just another bag of the usual stuff -- disappointment, regret, and the simple pain of living.

Rather than spend your day weeping over missed opportunities and movie snacks, why not peruse our collection of April Fools' Day DS pranks? We've gathered up all of this year's handheld shenanigans we could find around the internet, providing you a concentrated punch of lulz to counteract Reggie's kick to your head.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ace-attorneyapril-foolsdeviantartearthboundelectionhentaihoaxjoystiqfeaturesmothermudkipn64opalpokemonpoliticspopcornreggiespace-invaderstaitoyahooTue, 01 Apr 2008 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/square-enix-thanks-pirates-for-playing-ffcc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/square-enix-thanks-pirates-for-playing-ffcc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/square-enix-thanks-pirates-for-playing-ffcc/#commentsMere hours after Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates hit store shelves today, pirated copies of the game appeared in the shady corners of the internet, posted for all the picaroons out there to download and transfer to their flashcarts.

Twenty minutes or so into the ARPG, however, many of those pirates found themselves greeted with this "Thank you for playing!!" screen and unable to progress. Players have the option of restarting the game from the last save point and playing on, but the screen reappears at random intervals. Clever!

Why not lock pirates out before even loading up the game, you ask? Well, this way, they can try out Ring of Fates, eventually reforming their criminal ways and buying it if they find the experience enjoyable. Also, anyone dumping the game for distribution wouldn't notice this bit of programming unless they played a significant portion of it first.

Though this method isn't 100% effective, as some brands of carts are unaffected and hackers will likely find a workaround by day's end, it's certainly cute! Pirates should feel thankful that this isn't even half as malicious as Earthbound's anti-piracy measures.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arpgcrystal-chroniclesearthboundfinal-fantasyflashcartmotherpiracysquare-enixyarrTue, 11 Mar 2008 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/mother-3-battle-clips-snuck-up-from-behind/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/mother-3-battle-clips-snuck-up-from-behind/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/14/mother-3-battle-clips-snuck-up-from-behind/#commentsUnwilling to compromise on the quality of its project for the sake of a quick release, the Mother 3 fan translation crew has been tweaking every setting and smashing every bug in its path to releasing an English patch for the Earthbound sequel. In addition to posting regular updates on the programming process, the team has put up screenshots and videos from its work so far, like the Flint vs. Mischievous Mole movie above. We can't wait to try out that rhythm combo system ourselves!

On a disappointing note, the project's FAQ now states that the translation group no longer has plans to put out the patch before Super Smash Bros. Brawl's North American release, even with the Wii game's delay to early March. It's a painful wait, we know, but at least you'll get a few bonuses* that aren't in the Japanese game, like this secret enemy in the clip after break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brownie-brownearthboundfan-translationhal-laboratoryitoimothermother-3rpgshigesato-itoistarmenThu, 14 Feb 2008 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/watch-the-prologue-of-mother-3-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/watch-the-prologue-of-mother-3-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/17/watch-the-prologue-of-mother-3-in-english/#comments
We've informed you about the Mother 3 fan translation project before, and now it's time for you to enjoy some of the fruits of Starmen.net's labor. The project is not completed yet, but the team has at the very least finished translating and coding the prologue of the game. You can watch it in the video above (spoilers, obviously), without even having to worry about downloading any unauthorized ROMs or being involved with any yarrrrrring.

The video will also help you further acquaint yourselves with Lucas, who will be showing up as a playable character in one of Nintendo's most anticipated Wii games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

From what we've seen, Mother 3 has a certain charm about it, and we can see how fans would be so dedicated in their efforts to bring the game to English speakers. Now, if only Nintendo had the same dedication.

Convinced that Nintendo has no intention of ever localizing Mother 3 for release outside of Japan, fans of the Mother/Earthbound series have been working on their own unofficial translation for the endearing RPG. The volunteer group has put a year's worth of work into the project so far and is celebrating that milestone with two releases:

An anniversary video showing the game played with an English script. It's a preview of not only the team's progress, but of the bugs that still need to be addressed at this stage. You can watch the three-minute clip after the post break.

An updated menu patch with the most up-to-date translations for Mother 3's menus and chapter titles. Of course, this menu patch and the eventual full translation patch require an unauthorized, completely illegal ROM copy of the game to be of any use. Yarr!

Clyde Mandelin's celebratory post at the translation team's page also details the interesting events that went on behind the scenes, covering how the One Piece anime temporarily halted production and why Magical Starsign's failure to sell in the US could've doomed Mother 3's chances of ever receiving an official localization. As Clyde jokes, the project's history really does read like a spy novel!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brownie-brownfan-translationmagical-starsignmagicalstarsignmothermother-3one-pieceromrpgstarmenTue, 13 Nov 2007 19:40:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/dojo-update-new-pork-city-get-a-rope/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/dojo-update-new-pork-city-get-a-rope/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/dojo-update-new-pork-city-get-a-rope/#commentsMother 3 fans are getting everything but the actual GBA game with Super Smash Bros. Brawl -- Franklin Badges, Lucas as a playable character, and now, New Pork City, one of several memorable locations from the Earthbound sequel. The massive arena is one of the game's largest, putting to rest worries that the game wouldn't have any Hyrule-Temple-sized battlegrounds.

New Pork City boasts among its attractions a swinging boat and a stage-specific menace. Before you preview the screenshots at the Dojo, be warned that there are some Mother 3 spoilers scattered around the images. You can also watch a 2D tour of the metropolis after the post break.

Since we've never been given the opportunity to playMother 3, we aren't really able to gauge the thematic radness of Edit Mode's new Mother 3 "Emergency" shirt. Still, just as we know that all shirts sold on The King of Games are awesome, we have an inherent knowledge that everything about this shirt is wonderful, except the $50 price tag. We know that the design is pretty nice, and that the warning text on the back is adorable.

The other new Mother shirt, featuring a logo for "The Sharks," comes from Mother 2 a.k.a. Earthbound, and is therefore easily verifiable as being great. You can totally pretend you're in an arcade-occupying, hula-hoop wielding gang led by a smilin', knifin' Frank Fly.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earthboundmothermother-3mother3shirtthe-king-of-gamesTue, 02 Oct 2007 14:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/01/dojo-update-enter-lucas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/01/dojo-update-enter-lucas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/01/dojo-update-enter-lucas/#comments
Yay, another new character for Smash Bros. Brawl! Unfortunately, we've never heard of him. Oh, that's probably because the game he is from (Mother 3, in case you were wondering) never released outside of Japan. Still, a new character is nice, regardless of what game he is from, so we can't complain.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dojomothersmash-bros-brawlsmashbrossmashbrosbrawlMon, 01 Oct 2007 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/13/iwata-nintendo-wont-do-the-easy/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/13/iwata-nintendo-wont-do-the-easy/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/13/iwata-nintendo-wont-do-the-easy/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo WiiWhen Nintendo president Satoru Iwata refuses to "do the easy," you may think he's merely declining to perform some sort of elaborate dance maneuver. Given its name, we imagine such a dance move simply entails lying face down on the floor and remaining motionless until everyone else has gone home. It makes perfect sense really, as Iwata isn't going to take things lying down (see the connection there?) when it comes to a Wii Sports sequel.

Simply adding new sports isn't good enough, he explained in an on-going series of discussions posted on Mother designer Shigesato Itoi's news blog, Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun. "We're not going to take such an easy way, not by including seven new sports in the game since Wii Sports has five," said Iwata." We're not closing our doors to the possibility of a sequel, but it's definitely not coming out soon." He goes on to say that if Nintendo hopes to continue expanding its audience, the element of surprise is vital.

And what affords Nintendo the opportunity to explore new things and have unexpected games pop out of their little white box? "But realistically, I think we can say 'we won't do the easy' because we are currently making profit."

If you caught our interview with Starmen.net's Reid Young, you already know that the chances of Nintendo of America ever bringing EarthBound's GBA sequel, Mother 3, to the states are slim to none. As depressing as that reality might be, you shouldn't let it stop you from experiencing one of the most endearing RPGs ever released.

There are several walkthroughs and guides available to assist you with the game's Japanese text, and, from now until next Tuesday, import shop Play-Asia will be selling copies of Mother 3 for only $14.90, less than a third of its standard price! What more do you need to convince you to pick this one up?

Normally, dinner conversation doesn't translate into a multi-part feature, but most dinners don't include Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and novelist/Mothercreator Shigesato Itoi. Three more segments of the "interview" have been posted on Itoi's site, called "View Things over Someone Else's Shoulder," "Something Special about Mr.Miyamoto," and "On Management: 'Enhance your Strength.'"

The first two parts continue the de facto theme of the conversation, which is talking about how awesome Shigeru Miyamoto is, but the third part is most interesting to us, as it deals with Iwata's management style. Somehow, during the discussion, Iwata manages to omit any mention of his "yelling at NOA about Brain Age" tactic.

Perhaps inspired by our recentinterview with Starmen.net's Reid Young, Shigesato Itoi, best known in video game communities for his work on EarthBound and the Mother series, posted a few English-translated notes from a conversation he had with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata six months ago over supper.

Itoi and Iwata spent a great deal talking about Shigeru Miyamoto, as Japanese developers/designers are wont to do, discussing his belief of ideas being "something which solves multiple issues at once." Though the two chums didn't chat much about past projects or games, there are still ten more portions of the roundtable that Itoi promises to release over the next two weeks. We'll make sure to notify you if we hear of any megatons.

If you didn't catch the first half of our two-part interview with Reid Young, co-founder of Starmen.net, an online community for all lovers of the Mother series, make sure to check it out when you have a chance. We discussed a number of topics -- what makes the series stand out from other RPGs, why EarthBound (Mother 2) failed to sell in the U.S., and how Starmen.net is building awareness on the games with its EB Siege and Earthbound Anthology campaigns.

Reid also took some time to update us on what our chances are of ever receiving a western localization for Mother 3, whether or not we'll receive EarthBound on the Virtual Console soon, and the current status of the Mother 3 fan translation project. As an admirer of creative and heartfelt games, you owe it to yourself to read the rest of our interview past the post break.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browniebrownearthbounditoijoystiqfeaturesmothershigesatoitoistarmenWed, 29 Aug 2007 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/28/ds-fanboy-interviews-starmen-nets-reid-young/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/28/ds-fanboy-interviews-starmen-nets-reid-young/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/28/ds-fanboy-interviews-starmen-nets-reid-young/#comments
You can't have a proper discussion on the Mother series without bringing up the enthusiasm of its stateside fans; the two are entangled, strands wrapping around each other to make up the DNA of Starmen.net, the most devoted video game community online.

Since EarthBound's (Mother 2) SNES release in 1995, Nintendo of America has, for the most part, ignored the title and its cult following. Combating Nintendo's apathy towards bringing the rest of the games to the U.S., the Starmen.net crew pooled its resources and talents together to conceive the EarthBound Anthology, a 250-plus-page collection of fan-created work and a chronicle of Mother's history.

Starmen.net co-founder Reid Young sat down with us to talk about EarthBound and the anthology -- its production, ambitions, and success at catching the video game media's attention. Read on past the post break for the first in a two-part interview on Mother's past, present, and, hopefully, future.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earthboundjoystiqfeaturesmotherstarmenTue, 28 Aug 2007 19:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/26/promotional-consideration-underground-brain-training/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/26/promotional-consideration-underground-brain-training/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/26/promotional-consideration-underground-brain-training/#commentsPromotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.

Those of you lucky enough to live in a city with a rapid transit system have likely seen at least one ad for a handheld game during your commutes. After all, what better audience to advertise a portable title to than people who're trapped in a high-speed steel car full of strangers while they wait to be ferried from one spot to another?

In honor of Brain Age 2's release in the states last week, we'll be looking at a few ads we found for Nintendo's educational software that've appeared in transit stations in countries like Canada and France. Join us past the post break for this week's edition of Promotional Consideration.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisementbrainagebraintrainingcanadafatherfrancemotherpromotionalconsiderationsubwaytrainSun, 26 Aug 2007 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/31/get-out-and-download-this-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/31/get-out-and-download-this-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/31/get-out-and-download-this-game/#commentsJao describes Get Out, his first homebrew release for the DS, as a "Pac-Man-like game," but it's really more stealth-based than wakka-wakka-based.

Players have to escape their classrooms without being spotted by patrolling teachers. Sneaking out becomes harder with each level as the number of instructor sentries and their walking speed increases. To aid you in your noble quest, empty desks are available for you to duck into if you see one of the teachers headed for your row.

Though it doesn't seem like much was put into its presentation, what with the lack of a soundtrack and the sprites being ripped from Earthbound, the simplicity and accessibility make for a very entertaining diversion. Plus, you can't argue with its price -- absolutely free!

Virtually Overlooked has taken over Wii Fanboy! All this week, members of the staff will be outlining their personal picks for future Virtual Console releases.

Growing up with gaming is an interesting thing these days. Many of you are part of the first generation that was quite literally born into a household with a gaming console, as I was. In my experience, if you start off in life gaming hard, you don't stop. Therefore, in the very near future, I will able to ask a random middle-aged man if he wants to go play Guitar Hero 4, and it won't be totally weird.

Who am I kidding? This isn't Japan, and that guy will probably think I am, in fact, totally weird. But man, screw those non-gamers. The hardcore, like you and I, have tons of gaming memories, and thus we frequently long for the games of yore to be released on the Virtual Console. But they have not yet appeased my feral hunger, and thus do I lay these games out in a commanding fashion for Nintendo's minions to take note.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blastburgercorpsdensetsuearthboundmakersmanamarinamischiefmotherrarerarewaresecretseikensiliconspacestationtimevalleyvoweekWed, 13 Jun 2007 10:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/08/all-mom-wants-for-mothers-day-is-a-ds-lite/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/08/all-mom-wants-for-mothers-day-is-a-ds-lite/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/08/all-mom-wants-for-mothers-day-is-a-ds-lite/#commentsChris Kohler's coverage of random stuff he sees while walking around in Japan continues with a note about Nintendo's latest DS advertising campaign. The sign says "Soon, it will be Mother's Day" next to a picture of a DS Lite playing Brain Age.

We can't help but think that if this campaign works, it'll lead to a lot of disappointed moms this Sunday. We're not saying moms don't want DS's (some may not, but most people do!) The problem is that it's still pretty much impossible to get a DS in Japan, with the apparent exception of whatever store this was. Why would Nintendo even advertise the DS?

Seeing the words "Mother 3" in the same sentence as "released" is cause for excitement. In this case, though, it's more like a kick in the stomach. The Mother 3 soundtrack has just been released on the US iTunes store. All 26 songs from MOTHER3i and the arranged album MOTHER3+ are available for $9.99 each. After almost a year of pestering Nintendo to localize the game, we get a soundtrack.

A soundtrack.

Are we being taunted? Is this a carrot dangling in front of our faces or a gift of mercy from the overlord? It is the first commercial release of EarthBound merchandise outside of Japan since the SNES game in 1995. And it's not like fans won't snatch it up in a heartbeat. But does it make sense to release a soundtrack for a game very few of us have played?

Regardless of our bitter feelings, thank you, Nintendo. We don't mean to be demanding, but how about some graphics, a storyline, dialogue, and gameplay to go along with the music?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSearthbounditoiitunesmothermusicnintendosoundtrackMon, 02 Apr 2007 15:27:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/16/japanese-vc-games-in-the-us-not-entirely-dismissed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/16/japanese-vc-games-in-the-us-not-entirely-dismissed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/16/japanese-vc-games-in-the-us-not-entirely-dismissed/#commentsGame|Life's Chris Kohler conducted a short telephone interview with George Harrison, Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing, and he pulled out a small, offhand item that may be of some interest if it turns out to be anything: Nintendo is not totally against the idea of translating Japanese Virtual Console games for US release. This is by no means a confirmation, so don't convert your Famicom Mother cartridges into candy molds just yet. But we must admit that even a casual admission of the remote possibility of Japanese VC games has us dreaming of a future where imported and domestic Virtual Console games can live together in harmony, on our SD cards.

Our ultimate dream of getting a translated (or not) US release of the PC Engine Super CD Rom version of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is still amazingly unlikely, since we haven't seen any kind of support for old CD based games. But this note from Harrison just made it a tiny bit more likely, and that's enough to keep us going for another day. Plus, there's always the fact that if the poor little PSP can get it, anyone can.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consoleDracula XDraculaXFamicomimportjapanMothernintendovcvirtualwiiFri, 16 Feb 2007 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/egm-rumor-mill-rpg-heaven/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/egm-rumor-mill-rpg-heaven/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/13/egm-rumor-mill-rpg-heaven/#commentsHey, everyone loves rumors. You can usually grab them by the handful at sites like, say, SPOnG, but when you cry wolf as many times as they do, well, it diminishes credibility. EGM, however, have a fairly good track record with their Rumor Mill section, and the newest issue has some delectable bits.

First off, Square-Enix is purportedly using the two upcoming incarnations of Dragon's Quest (DQ Joker for the DS and DQ Swords for the Wii) as a gauge to see if the next incarnation of the main series, Dragon's Quest IX, will be released exclusively on the Wii. Though it has a slightly diminished standing in North America, the DQ series is loved by millions upon millions worldwide, an RPG phenomenon second only to the Final Fantasy franchise. If this is true, it's one hell of a victory for Nintendo.

We're not done with Square-Enix yet. Second rumor: SE is developing an MMORPG for the Wii based on the Mana universe. While we're not sure if the Wii even has the technical capabilites to run a true MMO (they tend to be very limited without a dedicated hard drive), we still salivate at the possibility.

Finally, Nintendo is looking at releasing an Earthbound compilation for the DS. This would include Mother 1, a game never released outside of Japan, the ever-beloved Earthbound itself (a.k.a. Mother 2), and the recent Mother 3, a game well-received in the Land of the Rising Sun. Add touch-screen capabilities, and bam. Million seller. They make it look so easy...

And, there you have it. While we must once again stress these are rumors, I'd eat my nonexistent hat if at least one of these three failed to come true. Your feelings, trusty readers?

[Update 1: Square-Enix was not the publisher of Earthbound; corrected Rumor 3.]